By 
A YOUNG Loughmacrory man who tragically died following a road traffic collision was today described at his funeral as someone who always tried ‘to be the very best’ in everything he did in life.
Mourners attending the Requiem Funeral Mass for Padraig McDonald in St Mary’s Church in Loughmacrory heard how 20 year-old Padraig McDonald was an ‘exceptional son and a fine young man.’ Pupils of his former primary school, St Teresa’s, members of the Loughmacrory GAA and the local community formed a guard of honour as the funeral cortege moved from his home to the church.
Fr Peter McAnenly, Parish Priest of Termonmaguirc, said he had remembered seeing Padraig coming into Christmas morning Mass in the church, little knowing that a ‘dark cloud’ was about to descend on the whole community following his death.
“I spoke to Padraig’s parents about a visit that I had to their family home last Monday evening. They were all gathered around the kitchen table having their dinner, and there was plenty of banter and fun. It is one of the countless memories that will be cherished greatly by them in the time to come,” he said.
“He will be remembered for his gentle nature and kind heart, and for his ever-present and warm smile. His principal, Mrs McElholm has told me how he was a joy to teach and a real inspiration.”
A former pupil of St Teresa’s primary school, the Dean Maguirc College and the College of Further Education in Dungannon, Padraig went on to enjoy working with plant and machinery.
“Padraig was up at the crack of dawn at different jobs in his working life. As well as being out and about working by day, he returned home to work again for a few more hours,” Fr McAnenly added.
“For the last eight years, he spent most weekends milking cows, and I know that he just loved being around the diary farm. Given his great love for farming, he was in his element about 18 months ago when his father, Paddy, bought a farm in Drumduff. Padraig spent any free time tidying up, attending to different jobs.
“It there that he had been, feeding his cattle on Thursday evening before going out to the Mill Wheel in Dunamore for the night and literally a few hours before the tragedy happened.
“In the years to come and many of us will think and we’ll think often of Padraig in his black jeep, and I believe when he had his dinner over on Christmas Day, he was out to the back of the house to wash the jeep and he spent ages polishing it.
“And as he made his final journey to the Church here in Loughmacrory this morning, it was fitting that his jeep was driven as a final tribute to him.”
